By Pilip Dolor • April 21, 2024
The University deviated from its annual tuition hike since the start of the pandemic, and with the transition to face-to-face classes, the school administration proposes to revive the annual tuition and other fees increase (TOFI) with a massive 7% increment.
For 18 years before the pandemic, the Ateneo de Naga University (AdNU) has been conducting annual tuition and other fee increases to boost their employees’ wages as well as to upgrade and maintain their facilities and equipment.
According to the AdNU Treasurer’s Office, the 7% proposed increase could not cover half the amount the university needs to catch up with due to inflation, and it is the midway for the students and the university with everything considered.
Due to the high inflation rate that the country experienced from the Duterte administration and the economic decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic, AdNU has been on a hiatus with the annual tuition increase and is operating without an increment in the fees since the academic year 2019-2020.
On 27 February 2023, a memorandum about the consultation for a TOFI was issued by the AdNU Treasurer’s Office, instigating a possible increase for the academic year 2023-2024.
Where will the TOFI go?
According to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Memorandum No. 3 in 2021, factors such as the financial standing of the university, the track record of the school, and the inflation rate are considered in approving TOFI.
The AdNU Treasurer’s Office explained that the university employees are the primary concern as they did not have any increase for the past three years. Aside from the employees—upgrades for the facilities of the university are another concern to be considered for the TOFI.
“Nag-aabono ang university in the past years. The university is a non-profit (institution) and the results of the increase is in line with the mission (and) vision (of the university),” Surara stated.
The AdNU Treasurer’s Office also implied that TOFI is necessary to better cater to the students and provide quality education. “Hindi naman talaga hindi mahal,” the office acknowledged.
“Sa 7%, hirap pa rin ang university, but it will allow them to catch up,” Surara added.
Impacts on Students
The discussions regarding TOFI triggered mixed emotions from the students.
“Anlaki ng 7% increase lalo na sa student na maraming laboratories pero baka magbebenefit naman in the long run as a first year student,” a first-year Civil Engineering student stated.
According to him, the weight of the load of his chosen program is increased by the proposed tuition hike.
“TOFI can really be felt especially in our program, Civil Engineering, where we use laboratories frequently and have many units so 7% is really big,” he explained.
Students’ problems do not only revolve around the large amount of tuition increase. The adjustment from blended learning back to face-to-face classes also brought difficulties to students.
“As of now, nasa transitioning phase pa rin naman tayo ng pandemic to new normal so masyado pang early for the tuition fee increase, “ a student expressed.
Ateneans also voiced that several circumstances failed to be considered with the 7% proposal, especially the interests of the scholars, working students, students living with solo parents, etc.
“Mahirap na maghanap ng pera, lalo na ngayon na solo parent na si mommy,” a second-year Civil Engineering shared.
‘Not intended for everyone’
As per CHED Memorandum Order No. 3, “Notices must be sent to all parties involved and conspicuously posted on the HEI’s bulletin boards at least fifteen days before the consultation.” Informing the student body about the consultation regarding TOFI is well under the responsibility of the AdNU Treasurer’s Office. However, only the heads of student organizations were provided with an invitation email to the said consultation, and information about the meeting and its contents were not made public.
However, the Treasurer’s Office explained that its decision to keep the TOFI Consultation discreet was based on ‘efficiency’.
“‘Yong email is the most efficient, kasi for sure ito ang mga tamang tao. And the student leaders are responsible enough to disseminate the information and to represent their body,” Vilma Prada, Budget Officer explained.
Furthermore, they added that social media is not an official means of announcement and that student organizations can talk among themselves to decide what to say in the consultation.
However, their choice for the mode of dissemination limited the audience to a minimum, keeping students who do not belong or are not active in an organization unaware of the consultation.
In a report by ThePILLARS Publication last 28 March 2023, several students expressed their disappointment due to the lack of communication about the consultation. The survey revealed that only 8 out of 101 students were able to receive an invitation regarding the consultation. Of these, only 21 students were aware of the 7% increase proposal.
“Matters are confidential and TOFI is not intended for everyone,” Prada stated. Despite the backlash that the office received due to their means of delivering the information to the student body, they believe that the current process of information dissemination is effective.
Added burden
When asked about the said consultation in an interview five months later, a student from the College of Engineering stated, “To be honest, ngayon ko lang siya narinig actually. Siguro if nagkachance na marinig ko ‘yon, I would be glad at least nainform ako about sa mga nangyari that day.”
The lack of knowledge about the consultation also caused alarm for students. “Siguro dapat na-inform ang students and parents kasi sila yung pinaka affected talaga,” a second-year Civil Engineering student expressed.
Even before the proposed tuition hike, students and parents already considered the tuition fees of the university expensive because of the burden of high inflation from the previous Duterte administration. With an ongoing battle against inflation and President Bongbong Marcos’ poor response towards the issue, this 7% proposed tuition increase poses a new challenge to the students and their parents.
person ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pilip Dolor
Managing Writer
Hi! I'm Pilip. I love writing about topics that serve purpose to the people. I also like tackling topics that I think should be known to the public.
newspaper NEWSLETTER
Stay connected with the latest stories from our publication, where we deliver thought-provoking insights, fearless journalism, and creative expressions from the Atenean community. Join us in our mission to inform, inspire, and empower, as we guide readers toward a more enlightened and compassionate future.
announcement LATEST ARTICLES